Joe Satriani says he was surprised to learn how his friends and peers viewed him as he sat down to right his upcoming memoir.
The legendary guitarist releases Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir on May 6, fast on the heels of a retrospective 15-disc box set called Joe Satriani: The Complete Studio Recordings.
In an interview with MusicRadar, Satriani says sitting down to write the book was a cathartic experience. And he adds that he was taken aback by how some of the people he has worked with down the years spoke about him.
He says: “Writing the book was very cathartic for me. There were weeks where I would walk around with a lump in my throat, feeling very emotional about the stories I was working on. The moments of revelation came from reading the interview transcripts from my friends and studio mates as they would comment on what it was like to work with me. ‘Was I really like that?’ I would ask myself. I guess so.”
The interview includes an excerpt from the book, in which Satriani discusses the making of his 1986 debut solo album Not Of This Earth.
Satriani adds that he has sent a batch of 10 new songs to Chickenfoot bandmate Sammy Hagar, saying: “It’s time to make some new music.”
